Mascara
by littlepinkdot5
Summary: While waiting for a pickup chopper Angeal finally asks the one question that puzzled people for generations. "Sephiroth what the hell's wrong with your eyelashes?"


Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Square-Enix's Final Fantasy

So I was watching Final Fantasy Advent Children when suddenly I was like "Holy crab cakes on an onion stick! What is with Sephiroth's eyelashes?" And thus the ground work for this story was born.

P.S I had a lot of fun when writing Genesis XD the way he talks is hilarious. I hope you don't have a hard time understanding it.

Angeal stood atop a tall bluff looking down at what had used to be a hidden Wutai fort. The fires that had been set hours ago where now only muted embers of their former glory, which the wind randomly stirred up to cast it's swirling ashes into the sky.

The base had been found a few days ago, tucked secretly away within a treacherous maze of cannons and cliffs high up within the Watai's people sacred mountain range. Scouts had been sent to observe the garrison, as ShinRa executives held suspicion that it may be the base of the Wutai warriors whose continual harassment of ShinRa builders at the new mako site was greatly delaying construction. When scout reports confirmed this belief ShinRa called on their own class of SOLDIER.

Angeal sometimes thought as he did now, looking down on the bodies of the dead Wutai, if his loyalty for ShinRa could indeed be called noble. Was the company's goal a pure one? Did they really intend to help the people? Were the many battles that he was ordered to engage in really the result of outside harassment, or ShinRa provocation?

"What a waste." Said Sephiroth, Angeal's thoughts brought to life by his worlds. Angeal looked over at his companion, the most recognized man on the continent, called both a hero by some and a demon by others.

Sephiroth too was standing at the bluff's edge looking upon the massacre below.

_For it had indeed been a massacre_, Angeal thought, _Those men stood no chance against the two of use_.

A puff of wind brought Sephiroth's silver hair and cloak to life as they gently flutter behind him displaying his somber features. Angeal's nose twitched as the wind also brought the smell of burning flesh to pollute his nostrils. Again Sephiroth sighed.

"What a waste." He repeated. "Those men did not have to die." Angeal nodded looking off towards the horizon which was fast becoming illuminated by the rising sun.

"It is not our place to ask whether what we do is right or wrong." He replayed. "We must trust the judgment of those above us. This is the purpose of SOLDIER. 'We are the sword that enforces the word-"

"-which protects the people'." Sephiroth finished. Angeal nodded again casting his eyes once more on the horizon, and though his eyes were sharp he did not spy the ShinRa helicopter that was scheduled to pick them up.

This holdup happened every now and then, an unforeseen event that had the potential to delay the retrieval copter for a few minutes or sometimes hours. Finding a good place to sit Angel placed his sword across his lap and started the laborious process of cleaning it. He would have liked to sharpen it too, but due to the sword's size a simple whetstone would not suffices, and the normal tools were stored safely back at the barracks.

Sephiroth too had moved away from the cliffs edge and now stood scanning the sky, by the looks of it somewhat impatient to be gone. The two men stayed like this for some time, one standing tall and strait, the other sitting calm and enduring at his work, slowly scrubbing the blood away.

At one moment Angeal looked up, sensing some unknown noise or moment, in time to catch a glimpse of Sephiroth's dark green eyes reflecting the dawns light under black lashes. When both men had sufficiently assured themselves that the disturbance had been nothing more than the movement of mice through grass, Angeal turned a contemplative face back upon Sephiroth.

"What is it Angeal?" Sephiroth asked curious of the meaning behind his friend's look. Angeal stared at Sephiroth for a moment longer before turning his eyes down ward to start the polishing process of his weapon.

"Nothing." He replied taking out a small container of polish. "I was just noting how your eyelashes are dark when the rest of your hair is silver. Now that I think about it, it did not use to be so." After a pause Angel heard his friend laugh a light amused chuckle.

"Is that all, I thought by your stare that I might have grown a third eye, or some such oddity. The answer my friend is simple, mascara."

"Really?" Angeal meet Sephiroth's entertained look with eyebrows raised.

"Do not give me that look Angeal." Sephiroth said with a sigh. "I have a very practical reason for using it."

"Really." Angeal repeated with a slight smile at his friend's minor fluster.

"Of course. I got the idea from your protégé actually, Zack Fair if I remember correctly?" Angeal gave a confirmative nod.

"As you know the mako infused within our bodies gives us certain qualities, one of which is the enhanced luminance of our eyes. When I first saw Zack I was quite taken aback at how the natural darkness of his eyelashes further pronounced this effect. I had previously read in books of history how tribal peoples of old would distort their faces with paint as a fear tactic to break their enemies moral and leave a lasting impression of fear on the survivors."

"Sephiroth, are you trying to convince me that your mascara is some sort of war paint?" Angeal asked trying hard to not betray the laughter rising under his deep composed voice.

"I am not trying to _convince _you of anything Angeal." Sephiroth continued crossing his arms. "I merely wish to explain my actions." Angeal, a small smile on his lips tilted his head in permission for Sephiroth to continue.

"As I was saying, in the battles I have observed of the second rank SOLDIER, both mock and real, Zack does seem to inspire an extra level of fear in his opponents that the other seconds lack."

"That is because," Angeal interrupted waving Sephiroth's explanation aside. "Zack is an exceptional warrior if still rough around the edges. His enemies can sense that and are thus afraid."

"Perhaps." Sephiroth replied looking out beyond the canyon. "You have taught him well and he is maturing quickly as a fighter, but from tests both personal and second hand I believe there is some truth in what I say…. Breaking off this topic for now I believe I've spotted our helicopter." Following Sephiroth's gaze Angeal too was now able to pick out the small shape of a chopper making its way steadily towards them.

"Exactly forty-nine minutes late." Sephiroth commented looking at his cell phone.

"Heh." Angeal grunted as he stood up and lifted the heavy buster sword onto his back. "I wonder what they're excuse is this time." Sephiroth's expectant smile as he watched the chopper quickly turned into a frown when the vehicle swiveled sharply followed by a quick 360°.

"Hummm, Reno's driving…."

A month later Angeal was again called to participate in another strike against Wutai harassment forces. This time Genesis would be accompanying him with an assortment of back up ground forces. As they lifted off into the sky aboard more company helicopters Angeal removed the sun glasses he had been wearing.

"My friend," Said Genesis soon afterwards, a playful quality to his melodiously soft voice. "What shadows hath converged upon the skin of thane eyes? If truth be told I would believe it to be a women's jewel that thou wishes to shine. Most unlike thee it is, and thus I wonder why?"

"Genesis it's war paint." Angeal said flatly. Now Genesis truly did laugh out loud, a long boisterous laugh.

"My friend that would explain the clumsiness of hand unto which it was laid, across your visage with such derangement, but I don't doubt my senses, for I have had a hand in such things. Why the change, for I thinks it suits you not."

"Something Sephiroth said." Angeal replayed seemingly unmoved by Genesis words.

" Hah!" Genesis let out a contemptuous laugh. "That man like a snake his tongue doth bless his silver words, hiding the truth beyond common sight. But I have witness his jealous eye and exorbant vanity. Like the peacock who struts before the other birds he wishes no eyes to wander from him and no praise be bestrode upon another." At this Angeal turned his head so that Genesis could not see the reddish tinge of embarrassment quietly blooming under his cheeks.

"We shall see." Was all he said before hosting his sword and jumping fearlessly out of the descending chopper.


End file.
